Facts in News

Indian Polity 

SVEEP programme 

Syllabus:GS 2/Government Policies & Interventions

• Recently, the Consultation Workshop of Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP ) ended.

Agenda of the workshop:  

• To review State SVEEP Plans and conduct extensive deliberations on the important aspects of SVEEP for a comprehensive strategy for the forthcoming elections.

About 

• It is the flagship program of the Election Commission of India (ECI). 
• It is a programme of multi interventions through different modes and media designed to educate citizens, electors and voters about the electoral process in order to increase their awareness and participation in the electoral processes. 
• It is designed according to the socio-economic, cultural and demographic profile of the state as well as the history of electoral participation in previous rounds of elections and learning thereof.   
• Aims
  • To increase voter education and promote voter literacy in India.
  • To build a truly participative democracy in India by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision during the elections.

Geography 

Sambhar Lake

Syllabus: GS 1/Indian Geography 

• According to research, 30% of Sambhar Lake’s area had been lost to mining and other activities, including the illegal salt pan encroachments. 

About 

• The lake is situated 80 km southwest of Jaipur and is the country’s largest inland saline water body which attracts thousands of migratory birds every year.

• It is also a designated Ramsar Site (recognized wetland of international importance) attracting tens of thousands of flamingos and other migratory birds from northern Asia and Siberia from November to February. 
• It finds mention in the mythological epic, ‘Mahabharata’.
• This inland lake receives water from five rivers, namely Samaod, Khari, Mantha, Khandela, Media, and Roopangarh. 
• It is known for the production of brine/salt and also houses one of the largest salt manufacturing units in the country. 
• Flamingoes, pelicans and waterfowls are commonly sighted at Sambhar Lake.

Defence

KAZIND-21 

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

• The 5th edition of Indo- Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise, “KAZIND-21” would be conducted from 30 August to 11 September 2021. 

About 

• The exercise is a joint training between both the Armies.
• The Exercise will provide an opportunity to the Armed Forces of India & Kazakhstan to train for Counter Insurgency/ Counter-Terrorism operations in the mountainous, rural scenarios under UN mandate. 

Kazakhstan

• Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia and the ninth-largest in the world.
• It is bounded on the northwest and north by Russia, on the east by China, and on the south by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea, and Turkmenistan; the Caspian Sea bounds Kazakhstan to the southwest. 

Image Courtesy: Worldatlas

• Importance of Kazakhstan for India:
  • Geo-strategic location of Country
  • Economic potential, especially in terms of energy resources. It is also India’s largest trade and investment partner.
  • Multi-ethnic and secular structure
  • India and Kazakhstan actively cooperate under the aegis of various multilateral fora including CICA, SCO and the UN organisations.
  • CICA is the only Central Asian forum of which India is a full member.

India and Foreign relations

Hazaras

Syllabus: GS2/ India & Foreign Relations

• A 2018 United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan report says most attacks by Taliban on civilians are directed towards the minority population, most of whom are ethnic Hazaras.

About Hazaras

• The Hazaras are the third largest ethnic group of Afghanistan and a religious minority.
• Around 10 per cent of Muslims in Sunni-majority Afghanistan are Shiite and almost all of them are Hazaras. The Taliban as well as the Islamic State are Sunni groups.
• The Hazaras are said to be of Mongolian and Central Asian descent, and the descendants of Mongolian leader Genghis Khan, who invaded Afghanistan in the 13th Century.
• They are mostly based in the mountainous area of central Afghanistan known as ‘Hazaristan’, or the land of the Hazaras. Hazaras speak a dialect of Dari called Hazaragi, which is a Persian dialect.
• Hate by Taliban:
  • The Taliban’s hatred for the Hazaras is primarily due to their different sect and distinct ethnic origins, and they thus consider them to be ‘infidels’. 

Geography

Kilauea volcano

Syllabus: GS1/ Physical Geography

• Mount Kilauea is the world’s most active volcanic mass, located on the southeastern part of the island of Hawaii.
• Kilauea has erupted 34 times since 1952. In Hawaiian tradition, Kilauea is home to the volcano goddess Pele.

The ground at the summit of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has been rumbling and swelling in recent days, prompting scientists to warn that the mountain could once again disgorge lava.